CNC Supervisor

Make sure your factory produces only the highest-quality tools.

Quick Stats

Salary Range

$32,000 – $86,000

Data from U.S. Department of Labor

What do CNC Supervisors do?

A CNC Supervisor is like a Conductor, standing watch over a group of people who are hunched over their tools. While the Conductor is obsessed with sound, however, the CNC Supervisor is concerned with product. The CNC tools are used to cut, grind, punch, or otherwise manipulate raw materials in a very precise way. Each product that comes out of the CNC department is the direct responsibility of the CNC Supervisor.

When you’re a CNC Supervisor, two sets of people report to you: CNC Setup Operators and CNC Operators. CNC Setup Operators do the computer programming that drives these fancy machines, and CNC Operators run those programs and create the products. As a Supervisor, you’re expected to know how to do both of these tasks so you can step in if someone is ill or otherwise unavailable.

Hiring staff falls on your to-do list as well. You do that by running ads and interviewing applicants. Once you’ve chosen the perfect person, you ask an experienced worker to conduct training, and you check in from time to time to make sure the orientation is going well. Periodically, you evaluate the effectiveness of your entire team, and you dish out praise and criticism as needed.

Factories often run multiple shifts, so a lot of product can be made each day. This means you must set up three sets of schedules for your workers, juggling vacation days and holidays and keeping everyone happy.

Each day, you inspect the products your team has made, and you make sure everything looks perfect. Other departments may ask you to make a certain number of pieces during each shift, and you keep a strict accounting of your group’s productivity.

Should I be a CNC Supervisor?

You should have
a
certificate
degree or higher and share these traits:

Reliable:
You can always be counted on to do a good job.

Trustworthy:
You are known for your personal integrity and honesty.

Team Player:
You're able to listen, communicate, and work with tons of different people.